One way trip to Mars: Would you go?

[GremlinClr]

Linky (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12666101/#060508a)

What is your name in the history books worth to you?

Discuss while I ponder.

[BlairH]

Linky (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12666101/#060508a)

What is your name in the history books worth to you?

Discuss while I ponder.

I wouldn't do it.

I must admit though that the private sector is doing some really good things with regards to space travel. Things that the guys at Nasa's JPL wouldn't even dream of doing.

I reckon the US Gov't should sell off bits of NASA to private investors. NASA has some of the brightest minds in the world, yet they are working with a very limited slice of the federal budget. just imagine what they could do with the benefit of some outside investment! They could afford to do some really daring, creative stuff.

The State monopoly on space has us going nowhere. International efforts have produced sweet-fuck-all in the form of the ISS. I was immensely sad when I realised that we'd never had a "2001 A Space Odyssey" esque spinning space station by 2001. We should be building shit on the moons of Saturn by now!

[Harlock]

One way? Um, nooo.

[Calybos]

As long as I've got a high-speed Net connection, sure.

[west3man]

Linky (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12666101/#060508a)

What is your name in the history books worth to you?

Discuss while I ponder.
There are only two options, so I go with "no."
I've been considering hermit-dom for quite some time. Going to Mars would be the ultimate expression of that.

I ain't ready, though. Gimme a few more years of exposure to idiocy, hypocrisy, and generally mean-spirited motherfuckers and I may sign on the dotted line.

I hope Martian chicks dig the bruthas, though, cuz you can only beat your meat to sleep so many times a week.

[Dreadstar]

Essentially a suicide mission?


Hmmmmm... I'd have to think about that one. I wonder if suffocation would be very painful or like falling asleep. I'm pretty sure that freezing to death would be the latter. By all accounts, starvation and thirst is a pretty bad way to go, though.

[Iangould]

What's being proposed is more permanent exile than a suicide mission.

You set up a self-sustaining Martian base then send the people.

FWIW, I voted yes but my age and health would exclude me from serious consideration.

[BlairH]

What's being proposed is more permanent exile than a suicide mission.

There is a decent chance of recovery, as NASA is planning an eventual manned return to Luna, then it's off to Mars.

[Nate C.]

In. A. Heartbeat.

Bradbury would be so proud.

[Dreadstar]

What's being proposed is more permanent exile than a suicide mission.

You set up a self-sustaining Martian base then send the people.

FWIW, I voted yes but my age and health would exclude me from serious consideration.

Really? Have they found an abundant water resource on Mars? Figured out a way to extract oxygen and heat the hermetically sealed environment using nothing but solar rad? For that matter, have they figured out how to assure hermetic sealing?

Still skeptical.

[Iangould]

My point is that the proposal isn't that you go there expecting to die of starvation or suffcation, the prposal presupposes you can live indefinitely on Mars. How realsitic that is is another question.

With current technolgy the trip to Mars is going to take a minimum of 8 months, that's going to require major advances in recycling and food production right there.

If you plan on a return mission you need to send an ascent stage to get from Mars back to your ship in orbit and fuel and supplies for the eight month trip back to Earth.

Ditch the ascent stage and the return fuel and you can carry enough additional supplies to keep you going until an unmanned resupply ship shows up.

Most return mision profiles imply you'd only have a few weeks to a couple of months on the surface of Mars, think how much more work you could do over several years.

You'd also avoid the radiation exposure and muscular atrophy you'd face during the return trip.

[ocelotrevs]

I would if there was nothing holding me here on earth.

[west3man]

Why all the sarcasm and venom?

The implied hypothetical doesn't suggest that our rocketeer would be sent unless the necessary primary-level survival supplies were sent, as well. Let's fight over who gets to go or something, not whether they're gonna push you into a rocket, yell "Psyche!," and send your hungry ass to room with Marvin.

[Daniel Lewis]

I vote yes. I've always wanted to go into space...

As long as they let me and some other capable individuals have weapons.*
And heavy screening. The last thing we need is a sociopathic serial killer 35 million miles from any law enforcement.
God, that make a great plot for a thriller movie!

(*)This coming from the guy who eventually wants the DoD to have a United States Space Corps.

-------------------------------------------------------
And while it is one way, it's not like you would be lonely. The upper limit, according to that article, is 90,000-100,000 settlers. While not much, that's still quite a few people.


You have no idea how excited this idea makes me.

[Charles RB]

Hell no, I've seen Gerry Anderson shows. If the fire-snorting rock snakes don't get me, the Mysterons will.

[Dreadstar]

To answer the question:

Would I go, knowing that the chances of me dying of natural causes would be infinitesimal?

Yep, absolutely! I always thought it'd be cool to have a High School named after me.

[Daniel Lewis]

Would I go, knowing that the chances of me dying of natural causes would be infinitesimal?



Dying with your boots on is sooo much cooler than dying in your bed.
Then again, if you do all sorts of dangerous, crazy things in your life and died in your bed as an old man/woman, you have beaten fate. And that would be cool.

I think I'd be up to the physical standards of space travel in a few months.
Army Basic training has a way of doing that to you.:p

[Dreadstar]

Why all the sarcasm and venom?
1. The sarcasm was just a matter of poking fun.
2. What venom?
3. No. Don't answer that. Really. Please.
4. Deja Thoris is all the reason I need.

I'm just surprised that the guy didn't take the rah-rah the one step further that I've heard when the idea of one-ways always comes up: Since we have to send more supplies every few months or so (multiplying that low dollar estimate tossed out by however many trips) why not send PARTS as well? Surely we could send people capable of assembling those parts into an escape velocity vehicle, couldn't we?

EDITy EDIT-EDIT: Or hell, why not just send an unmanned recovery vehicle at a later date?

[Dreadstar]

Dying with your boots on is sooo much cooler than dying in your bed.

Damn straight. And like, you'd be famous and shit! People would ask whose shirts you wear! If you made it to the next election, the NEWS teams would be ALL OVER your ass asking how you voted. (Mars is, of course, a RED state) You could make a shit-load of money doing comercials while on Mars. "Do you know me? That's why I carry American Express! Don't leave Earth without it!" Even if you couldn't get rich with commercials, you could STILL claim to be one of the 5 richest people on the PLANET! And so, so, so much more...

[Michael P]

As long as they let me and some other capable individuals have weapons.*
And heavy screening. The last thing we need is a sociopathic serial killer 35 million miles from any law enforcement.
God, that make a great plot for a thriller movie!

Weapons for what, exactly? Presuming that screening works out OK, there will be both nothing to hunt and nothing that will hunt you.

[Shellhead]

Weapons for what, exactly? Presuming that screening works out OK, there will be both nothing to hunt and nothing that will hunt you.

I was wondering the same thing. And what kind of weapons, exactly? You don't want some triggerhappy goon to blow a hole in the outer wall, do you?

[Steven F.]

I would do it in a heart beat....no greater adventure could ever happen in my lifetime.

I need to start saving money....I will wear logos if people want to sponser me.

[Paul McEnery]

In. A. Heartbeat.

Bradbury would be so proud.
Hah. You and me both.

Of course, the idea of you, me, Ian and Dread (not to mention Daniel) sharing a tiny wee bunk bed room while the robots set everything up, arguing about politics and religion to while away the time...

Actually, that could be pretty fun.

[Dreadstar]

Hah. You and me both.

Of course, the idea of you, me, Ian and Dread (not to mention Daniel) sharing a tiny wee bunk bed room while the robots set everything up, arguing about politics and religion to while away the time...

Actually, that could be pretty fun.

Just bring a chess set so we could have something to settle our disputes.

[Paul McEnery]

Just bring a chess set so we could have something to settle our disputes.
Well, so long as it's an all guy mission, we'll settle it the old-fashioned way.

Which leads me to think that Ian will win.

[Mike Smith]

I wouldn't do it.

I must admit though that the private sector is doing some really good things with regards to space travel. Things that the guys at Nasa's JPL wouldn't even dream of doing.

I reckon the US Gov't should sell off bits of NASA to private investors. NASA has some of the brightest minds in the world, yet they are working with a very limited slice of the federal budget. just imagine what they could do with the benefit of some outside investment! They could afford to do some really daring, creative stuff.

The State monopoly on space has us going nowhere. International efforts have produced sweet-fuck-all in the form of the ISS. I was immensely sad when I realised that we'd never had a "2001 A Space Odyssey" esque spinning space station by 2001. We should be building shit on the moons of Saturn by now!

I agree we should be spending more and private investors/market would help. If I'm not mistaken Virgen is constructing a spaceport in New Mexico and I think one somewhere in the Asia.

As for the trip if I had the chance to go and try to "colonize" the planet, let's say with a sultry actress, it may be worth the consideration. Other than that I'd prefer to be in my living room watching history be made on TV.

[K'Nort]

Weapons for what, exactly? Presuming that screening works out OK, there will be both nothing to hunt and nothing that will hunt you.

You'll still get hungry.

[Donald M.]

You'll still get hungry.

Exactly. Eventually it'll come down to Astronauts eating each other.

I'd like to go down in history as the first man to be cannabalized on a planet other than Earth. That story'll make the kids in history classes of the 22nd Century sit up and pay attention.

[Dreadstar]

I want to be a cautionary tale.

[Dan Apodaca]

I'd definitely go.

There are certain things I'd want to do before I left, of course, but you can't beat a deadline like that to really light a fire under your ass.

And then I'd write the first great Martian novel, though it would only be great by default.

[(A)//(E)]

I just know that if I went up, there'd be a great nuclear holocaust on Earth two weeks into the trip to Mars. Wouldn't that suck.

[Iangould]

Exactly. Eventually it'll come down to Astronauts eating each other.

I'd like to go down in history as the first man to be cannabalized on a planet other than Earth. That story'll make the kids in history classes of the 22nd Century sit up and pay attention.

I'd like to go down in history as the Cannibal Emperor of Mars.

[Mike Smith]

This would actually make an awesome Survivor series.

The prize would be getting told the location of the secret biodome the Soviets built on the red planet many years ago.

[BlairH]

I want to see the alien structures ("the face" and the pyramid) at Cydonia.

[Alex]

No, i love Earth, and i don't want to live in some peace of crap space colony.
I don't even want to live in a piece of crap space colony with a bar, because if total Recall taught us anything, it's that Mars sucks, and chicks with 3 boobs are not hot.

[Squirrel]

Mars has been my dream home since I first saw ST:TNG. My Muffin and I would help keep up the population ^^

Of course, we'd have to bring along the staff of the Thai Place restaurant. I can't live the rest of my life without Thai food.

[Slam_Bradley]

Not until after my boys are grown. No way I'd miss more t-ball, swim meets, Connor learning to read, etc.

Afterwards, yes.

[Shellhead]

I think that I would rather send my worst enemy on a one-way trip to Mars. Although I'm not sure if Cheney's heart could handle the g-forces during liftoff, I'm willing to take that chance.

[tricksterpup]

When they get to Mars atleast Marshall, Will and Holly will be found.

Marshall, Will and Holly
On a routine expedition
Met the greatest earthquake ever known
High on the rapids It struck their tiny raft (insert screams here)
And plunged them down a thousand feet below
To the Land of the Lost
To the Land of the Lost
To the Land of the Lost

[Daniel Lewis]

Weapons for what, exactly? Presuming that screening works out OK, there will be both nothing to hunt and nothing that will hunt you.

Yeah, you say that. But you're thinking in Earth-terms. I'm thinking, "I'd rather have a firearm and not need to use it than find out there are subterreanean flesh eating blood-worms on Mars and not have anything to fight back with."

I've seen ALL those space movies.
No weapons= alien food.

[Daniel Lewis]

Double Post

[Daniel Lewis]

Oops, Triple post.
*Hopes Mod will remove glaring sign of his stupidity*

[Daniel Lewis]

Hah. You and me both.

Of course, the idea of you, me, Ian and Dread (not to mention Daniel) sharing a tiny wee bunk bed room while the robots set everything up, arguing about politics and religion to while away the time...

Actually, that could be pretty fun.

*3 months into the expedition...
Me: "Anybody want to play Risk(tm)?"
Everyone else: *Moans*
Me: "How about Axis and Allies(tm)? Or Monopoly(tm)? See, I've replaced all the normal places with Martian Real Estate!! How badly do you want Utopia Planitia, Dread? Olympus Mons, anyone?"

[BlairH]

I've seen ALL those space movies.
No weapons= alien food.
Exactly. The kill ratio in the first "Alien" movie favoured the Alien. In the sequel, the kill ratio favoured the heavily armed marines.

M41A Pulse rifle!

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/projects/aliens/ripleym41.jpg

On that note: I really hate Sigourney Weaver. I despise her. She's a hypocrite. Anybody who has listened to the special features on the Alien Quadrilogy box set knows what I'm talking aboot.

[Daniel Lewis]

On that note: I really hate Sigourney Weaver. I despise her. She's a hypocrite. Anybody who has listened to the special features on the Alien Quadrilogy box set knows what I'm talking aboot.

I'm afraid I haven't seen it. How is she a hypocrite?

[Michael P]

*3 months into the expedition...
Me: "Anybody want to play Risk(tm)?"
Everyone else: *Moans*
Me: "How about Axis and Allies(tm)? Or Monopoly(tm)? See, I've replaced all the normal places with Martian Real Estate!! How badly do you want Utopia Planitia, Dread? Olympus Mons, anyone?"
Settlers of Cataan.

[BlairH]

I'm afraid I haven't seen it. How is she a hypocrite?

Because she made her money from starring in of one of the most martial, gun-filled movies everywhere, yet she claims to have had "moral qualms" about starring in said film because she's extremely anti gun.


"It's actually hard for me morally to justify being in a film with so many guns.

"I just find it... very upsetting. And that's the biggest problem for me, is that I, reading the script, I had no idea how...martial the atmosphere would be, and how much emphasis that would have.

"I give money to anti-gun legislation, and..

"I mean, I never, I never even go to see movies about guns. Especially killing people. I can't, you know, I mean I just think... Oooh, I think it would be very difficult for an actor. You'd really have to sort of, do a number on yourself, you know."


I bet she didn't have such qualms when she picked up her pay-check.

She claims that gun-owners -when they use guns- feel "immortal" (this is all based on her experience with blank firing guns on set by the way) and that this feeling of "immortality" was part of the "gun problem". Talk about psychological projection!


"The thing that scares me about the guns is that after you've been using then a couple of days, you go 'Oh, well, you know, this is...' you know, it, you sort of get into it. And I think that's what happens to people with real guns"

"I don't like that feeling you get after you've shot off a few rounds of "I'm Immortal" you know. It's just.. garbage."

It gets worse though:

"There were moments on Aliens where I had to shoot stunt dummies who were dressed as aliens. I would have to shoot stuntmen who were moving as aliens. And, um, I always thought it was amazing. We rehearse it, of course, in detail. But then they kinda left it to me. I mean I know they were blanks, but still the.. I mean, what if I'd flamed a real person, you know? They trusted me completely. And I have to say that once you start shooting, you get to lik... you know, the, the target practice alone was, you know, very, like (growls) you know. (With a smile.)


Putting on my amateur psychoanalyst's jacket...

So, Sigourney Weaver, gun hater, was trusted to use a real flamethrower and a (blank-firing) gun on the set. Other people trusted her completely. Apparently she doesn't trust herself and finds the concept somewhat disturbing and encouraging at the same time. She admits - almost - to liking to shoot the set weapons. She found it, let's say, primitively exciting, but at the same time the fact that she liked it frightened her.

One thing I think that is common among the really strident anti-gun people is the fear of responsibility, and they see guns (quite rightly) as a large responsibility. They don't think themselves worthy of it. They fear a loss of control. Or they fear an inability to handle it. Not that evil brain-warping waves will cause them to rush out and commit mass murder, but that they just aren't responsible enough to have a gun. Since they have found themselves unworthy, they don't trust others to handle that responsibility either, because hey! They're just average people like everyone else, right?

After all, they have so many examples to point to of people who misuse guns both criminally and negligently, they must be right.

Right?
:D

[Nate C.]

Hah. You and me both.

Of course, the idea of you, me, Ian and Dread (not to mention Daniel) sharing a tiny wee bunk bed room while the robots set everything up, arguing about politics and religion to while away the time...

Actually, that could be pretty fun.

eggzackly.

I'm not seeing the downside.

Course I was raised on Lewis and Clarke, Daniel Boone, Ulyesseys and the like.

Staying behind wouldn't be an option.

[Nate C.]

I want to be a cautionary tale.

brilliant.

[Dizzy D]

Can you get a decent beer on Mars? How's the dating pool? Do all of us useless nerds get shipped off like in the Hitchhiker's Guide or do we get a decent spread of people and skills? Who will be running the show? What political system will they have (something tells me Red versus Blue and debates are fought with rocket-launchers)?

All important pieces of knowledge I would need to know before leaving. Probably won't go though, I kinda like the cradle of luxury that is the western world.

[GremlinClr]

Yea, I know I started this thread a while ago but other things got in the way.

On the plus side I have definitely had time to ponder the decision and I have to say...no. I'm just too attached to my life as it is now to give it all up. It would be an amazing adventure but knowing I could never come back is just too high a price.



There are only two options, so I go with "no."


It's really a yes or no question, either you would or you wouldn't. I could include various "Yes, but only if..." or "No, unless..." but I've only got 10 spaces and couldn't begin to guess what caveats people would want.

The article I linked outlines everything, sorry but I can't think of any other options. Unless you were hoping for a wishy-washy "Maybe!". :)

[JeffreyWKramer]

I wouldn't go, but I can think of a few hundred people I'd gladly send.

[J Dog]

Let me put it:

No way!

The thing is a billion things can go wrong. Let me start:


The engine fails and the ship falls into the ocean
The engine blows up the ship in the sky
The engine dies out in space, leaving the saps in a metal coffin
They forgot water
They forgot food
They forgot the air tanks, but brought enough chinese food to last 10 years
They brought the airtanks, but didn't bring ANY chinese food
They brought the tanks and the food, but it's too heavy and the engine fails
Someone smuggles a messy meatball sub, clogging the instruments
Someone smuggles an iguana, where it'll attack you
If there is a chick, odds are she will say no to doing it
Someone will probably do it outside the ship
Somebody accidentally pees in the water
Somebody has a bad reaction to the food, and will pass gas for eternity
When you get to Mars, there's no help desk
Bad landing= X_X
Good Landing, but at bad spot= X_X & XX_XX
You run out of supplies on this godforsaken rock
The demons from "Doom" go from Phobos and attack you
Same as above, but "Cowboy Bebop" as well
HAL 9000 does away with everyone before they get there
HAL 9000 will not be able to get there, either


I think I made my point.

[Dreadstar]

Let me put it:

No way!

The thing is a billion things can go wrong. Let me start:

In every one of those scenarios, I get a high school named after me!

SCORE!

EDIT! On the other hand, I love the list. And I promise that no one will know about the meatball sub.

[tricksterpup]

You know, Nothing ever good comes from Going to Mars.. just ask Michael Garibaldi.

[Paradox]

**dons astronaut gear**

When's the launch?

[tricksterpup]

**dons astronaut gear**

When's the launch?
??? you mean you are not already there?

[Dreadstar]

**dons astronaut gear**

When's the launch?


Dude, aren't you worried about the forced celibacy?

[Paradox]

J Dog can only be attributable to human error:

HAL 9000 does away with everyone before they get there
HAL 9000 will not be able to get there, either


I think I made my point.

Look Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over.
:D

[Paradox]

Dreadstar should define "forced":

Dude, aren't you worried about the forced celibacy?

Like I'd notice the difference??

[JolietJake]

Nah.....

I keep hearing how "Mars needs women!"

I went to enough sausage-fest parties in college that I don't need to repeat it interplanetarily.